Loaded Sesame Instant Noodles

Instant ramen has a strong nostalgic hold in our hearts.

Its powerful charm is tied not to the dish’s flavor (which, truthfully is not a lot) but rather to the circumstances of its consumption – youth, fun, carefree outlooks, genuine passion and more often than not, a lot of good company! Days when worries of too much sodium, MSG or gluten were nary a pinch… :)

Growing up in India, instant ramen was Maggi with its original curry flavor surprisingly close to the Japanese curry, rich and umami filled. It was advertised as 2 minute noodles, the perfect after-school snack for hungry kids delighted to be home after an exhausting day in school. And schools ended around three. So, it dovetailed nicely as the 3pm snack for adults as well.

Oddly enough, that was not a trend in my house. For one, although my mother was a pretty good cook and whipped an amazing chinese hakka noodles dish from scratch, she always messed up these instant ones. Besides, my snacks were typically more wholesome foods like poha or upma made at home, cakes and puffs from the neighborhood bakery, or, in those rare occasions of friends popping over, a trip to the chaat shop for some street eats!

My nostalgia with instant noodles

began in grad school and the 2am late night cravings. The official reason for up at that time was working on projects and collaborations. But, really, it was 90% general ‘chit-chat’ and 10% work. No matter the excuse, the canteen at that time was the popular hangout, not in the least because of the piping hot Maggi served with mounds of grated cheese! Oh! Yes, there was the 20lb weight gain in the first semester, entirely attributable to this, and, not stress. Oh! but the deliciousness of it..!!!!

Tragically, growing older has its pitfalls. One of which, is a sudden loss of appetite for these crazy junk food that are delightful. These days they are either con-sequenced by physical pain or guilt or not dared thought about at all. But, there is a way to blend the nostalgia with grown-up responsible outlooks – Jazzing it up with proper vegetables and protein! ha! Take That, Adultness!!!

Instant ramen has a strong nostalgic hold in our hearts.

Its powerful charm is tied not to the dish’s flavor (which, truthfully is not a lot) but rather to the circumstances of its consumption – youth, fun, carefree outlooks, genuine passion and more often than not, a lot of good company! Days when worries of too much sodium, MSG or gluten were nary a pinch… :)

Growing up in India, instant ramen was Maggi with its original curry flavor surprisingly close to the Japanese curry, rich and umami filled. It was advertised as 2 minute noodles, the perfect after-school snack for hungry kids delighted to be home after an exhausting day in school. And schools ended around three. So, it dovetailed nicely as the 3pm snack for adults as well.

Oddly enough, that was not a trend in my house. For one, although my mother was a pretty good cook and whipped an amazing chinese hakka noodles dish from scratch, she always messed up these instant ones. Besides, my snacks were typically more wholesome foods like poha or upma made at home, cakes and puffs from the neighborhood bakery, or, in those rare occasions of friends popping over, a trip to the chaat shop for some street eats!

My nostalgia with instant noodles

began in grad school and the 2am late night cravings. The official reason for up at that time was working on projects and collaborations. But, really, it was 90% general ‘chit-chat’ and 10% work. No matter the excuse, the canteen at that time was the popular hangout, not in the least because of the piping hot Maggi served with mounds of grated cheese! Oh! Yes, there was the 20lb weight gain in the first semester, entirely attributable to this, and, not stress. Oh! but the deliciousness of it..!!!!

Tragically, growing older has its pitfalls. One of which, is a sudden loss of appetite for these crazy junk food that are delightful. These days they are either con-sequenced by physical pain or guilt or not dared thought about at all. But, there is a way to blend the nostalgia with grown-up responsible outlooks – Jazzing it up with proper vegetables and protein! ha! Take That, Adultness!!!

Asha is the Founder and the Creative Strategist of INK, a digital marketing consultancy focused on food and leisure clients.
A key social influencer, she has a reach of over 400K across digital platforms. She edits and publishes NOURISHED magazine, a seasonal and quarterly food magazine with international distribution. She writes an acclaimed blog, Fork Spoon Knife, on food and culinary travel related topics. She pens for and has been featured in The Daily Meal, Redbook Magazine, Spenser Magazine, Huffington Post, Good Food Jobs, Food 52, Mashable among others.